Maybelline Eyeshadow // Blushed Nudes

Not those kind of nudes, cheeky.

Ah spring. The new season means more cleaning, plenty of showers in April and a change up in the eye make up variety. Well, it doesn't really, but it does give you an excuse to buy some new products. Just think about all the lambs and chicks being born, then pretend your purchases are a metaphor for new life and you're away.

The blushed nudes palette is the newest addition to the Maybelline Nudes collection and features shimmery colours perfect for spring, ranging from light golds to deep pinks.
Similarly to its predecessor, many of the colours included are comparable to the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette, but again at the fraction of the price at £9.99. As before, it also includes a guide with preference to blending certain colours. 
I am impressed with the slight alteration to the brush included, meaning you can combine the shades to achieve a really pretty look.

The palette does lack matte shades compared to the original, so I'd steer clear if you're not about that glittery shadow life.

The colours do range in intensity, but the bottom shades do have slightly more pigmentation. The top shades are slightly more sheer and would make for a great day look, providing you're not looking for something matte and heavy.

Again, I would recommend using a primer to lock the colours in place, but for eyeshadow on a budget you really can't go wrong.

Victoria

Quick Rice Krispie Treats | Easter Recipe

Somehow, it has escaped my attention that we're already in spring, April is round the corner and it's nearly Easter. I would like this year to slow down slightly, please. Moving on from my last quick and easy baking post, I thought I'd share my favourite Easter themed treat - Rice Krispie buns.

Easter isn't the healthiest time of year, well it certainly isn't for me, but if you have some spare time over the holiday and you're looking for a gooey chocolatey fix, you've come to the right place.

Again, apologies for the quality - a camera update is needed ASAP. You will need:

• 3oz butter or margarine
• 4oz of marshmallows
• 5oz of Rice Krispies
• Mini Eggs

Slowly melt butter/margarine in a large pan. When melted, add marshmallows and blend. When well blended, take off the heat and add the Rice Krispies. Stir well until completely coated. Put a tablespoon of mixture into each bun case, (add more or less depending on the size). Hollow out the middle with a teaspoon and once the mixture has set, place the Mini Eggs in the centre. It's that simple!

So if you have anymore room after stuffing your face with various eggs and other Easter themed chocolate animals, give this really simple recipe a try!

Victoria

Favourite Lashes | Eylure

I'll be honest, I have a STRONG love/hate relationship with false lashes. Even though I've worn them on and off for parties and nights out since I was around 15, the struggle is still very much real. Don't even get me started on the individual ones I wore age 16 for my prom.

However, a severe lack of co-ordination aside, I do feel like I've definitely found my favourite brand of falsies from a fair few years of experience. 

Featured: Fleur de Force: Fleur Loves & Lengthening 080

Eylure has been pretty much my staple for as long as I can remember. The brand are already very popular with their affordable prices and many celebrities and YouTubers joining on the bandwagon too.

My favourite thing about the brand is definitely the range they have. Looks vary from big and bold. to thinner and lighter, so the varied styles mean you can go for a very natural or dramatic look depending on your preference. If unlike me you do actually have some co-ordination, the lightweight bands are very durable, meaning they stuck to your own lashes very easily. The flexibility means you can also trim the inner corners of the strip, if they're slightly too long. I also find their adhesives, when applied correctly, make sure my lashes do not budge all night.

Unfortunately my most favoured set was the Katy Perry range, which they seem to have discontinued. Fortunately, they should give me more room to try out some of their different styles.
If anyone is looking to try out any false lashes for the first time, I do recommend looking at some YouTube tutorials, as they're very helpful indeed. 

What are your favourites from the Eylure range? I'm certainly also willing to try out different brands, so please do let me know if you know ones you can't live without!

Victoria ♥

My Winter Clothing Staples

Can the weather please make its mind up? We're nearly into March (already?!) and it's only just starting to get particularly frosty. The back to work blues from Christmas should have been banished by now, but the cold is certainly not helping.

That being said, this icier weather does do well to inspire some new fashion attire for the season. Considering it's pretty much winter the majority of the year in the UK, these simple looks can probably still be worn into late spring. Prior warning - I do love my greys.

 Coat & Boots: New Look | Scarf: Marks & Spencer 

 Jumper & Skirt: New Look

 Full outfit: Missguided

 Rings: Primark

  Faux Fur Jacket: Next (Lipsy Range) | Faux Leather Trousers: River Island

Victoria ♥

Vamp It Up For Valentine's | Lipstick

Ah Valentine's Day. Whether you're spending the day with you're significant other being lavished with gifts, or Netflix and chilling by yourself (definitely the latter for me) there's no avoiding it. Either way, the day is a great excuse to get in on the consumeristic action as a treat from your partner, or as a reminder that you're cripplingly alone. Jokes aside, if you'd rather spend your money on a new lipstick rather than an overly mushy and sentimental card, then you've come to the right place.

Red is generally the typical colour associated with Valentine's, but there's something about a deep berry or plum colour that really intensifies a look.

I'm not really sure why I have three different lipsticks in a very similar shade. I assume it's something to do with the fact that most pale lipsticks make me look awfully ill and I'm hopeless at not managing to lose a lot of my makeup. Do they just jump out of your bag? Anyway, by some miracle I've managed to keep a hold of my darkest shades. From L-R: Black Cherry | D For Danger | Beguiled 

Barry M: If you'd rather play it safe with a more red toned colour, I'd go for this one. The lipstick has a glossy finish without being too in your face and is the cheaper option of them all at £4.49. 

MAC: With the brand is very well known for its staying power and stand out colours, D For Danger does not disappoint. If you're looking for a more matte shade that really grips to your lips, then you may be willing to splash the cash at £15.50. It's definitely not the cheapest option and if you are prone to dry lips, I'd recommend using a lip balm beforehand.

Topshop: I'd say this is the deepest colour of them all, with an almost sparkly plum finish. If you prefer a lipstick with an added shine, then look no further than Beguiled at £8.

With all these shades, I recommend investing in a vampy lipliner too, as darker colours tend to bleed more and looking like The Joker for Valentine's isn't exactly the most sought after look.  

Let me know if you've tried any of these shades and what you think.

Happy Valentine's ladies!

Victoria ♥

St. Tropez Express Tan

I've been a long time lover of St. Tropez tan. As a young teenager, I experimented with various cheap tanning products. It left me with a fair few Wotsit moments, to say the least. But after a few years of trials and tribulations, St. Tropez has become a tanning staple. My personal favourites come from their mousse range, so when I discovered their Express Bronzing Mousse I knew I had to try it.

The formula means you don't have to leave the tan to develop overnight. So of course, no stained bedsheets! Using my trusty mitt I applied one layer all over, rubbing an overly zealous amount on my legs. What's different about this tan is that you control the depth of darkness within a few hours. Since I only really tan on nights out, I left it on for about two and a half hours. For a more sun kissed glow I'd leave it for around an hour, but if you're really wanting to look like a bronzed babe I'd go for 3 hours plus.

After showering I was left with a nice streak free golden shade which then darkened for up to 8 hours after I'd initially washed it off. I was left seriously impressed.

A few days later and after some serious moisturising, although faded I'm still very pleased with the results.

For £33, it's not the cheapest tan our there, but I think it's certainly worth the money for a long lasting streak free tan. If you have tan favourites, do let me know!

Victoria ♥

The Nutcracker & Resolutions?

Quite a few years ago I went to see Swan Lake at Leeds Grand Theatre. I've always loved going to see musicals and plays, but I'd never seen a ballet. I did used to do ballet and tap when I was a child, though my dancing nowadays generally involves copious amounts of alcohol but I still find it great fun. When thinking back to Swan Lake, I remember being so enthralled by the experience and I'd have given anything to join the dancers onstage. Props to those dancers too, the amount of time they have to stay contorted in those positions looks excruciating. Roll on a few years later and I'm back at The Grand, only this time the production is The Nutcracker.

For anyone who doesn't know, the ballet is based on the book, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King which is about a little girl who receives a Nutcracker on Christmas Eve. The music for the ballet was composed by Tchaikovsky, who also composed the score for Swan Lake. How can you go wrong?

As before, the choreography was completely 'en pointe' ... (I'll let myself out) as were the orchestra. The costumes were brilliantly eye catching and I really have no ideas how some of the ballerinas performed in their gowns. The set was pretty basic, though I felt it needed to be since there's so many things happening at once. There were parts which definitely felt like blink and you'll miss it moments.

Unsurpsingly, I found that my favourite scene was the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. I could've just spent two hours watching that to be honest, though it did leave me feeling like quite the unflexible walrus.

If you're a first time theatre goer with a short attention span, then I really think this production could be for you. The show is two hours long and it honestly flies by - providing you don't get a numb bum. It's a great way to start or end your Christmas, so I whole heartedly recommend booking tickets for 2016.

Lastly, happy 2016! I had a bit of a whirlwind in 2015, a new fulltime job meant that I had to balance my work and social life well, which can be very stressful indeed. Last year I mentioned how my only resolution was to donate blood. Which I was successful in doing! I'm donating again in February and I've managed to drag a friend along this time - good luck Charlotte!

This year I've made three promises to myself. My only proper hobby at the moment is blogging and since I'm sat on my bum most of the day, I'm hoping to do something more active with my freetime. I don't think toning my legs on the dancefloor will cut it somehow, so I've decided I'm going to join some form of class. Dancing, running? Who knows! But I will be more active this year. Secondly, I'm going to try and procrastinate less. This will be a tough one for me because I leave everything to the last minute, but this year I'm hoping to be far more proactive with my work. Lastly I'm aiming to finally pass my driving test. Fingers crossed on that one!

I wish everyone well in 2016 and I hope you all have an amazing year. 

Victoria ♥